Disclaimer: JAG belongs to DPB, Paramount, CBS et al. This is for fun, no copyright infringement is intended.
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- Unknown location, the second factory building
"Shh! Careful."
AJ helped Webb regain his footing after he had slid down from the container and they ducked against its side. There were still voices at the far end of the building.
"You really think moving is a good idea?" murmured Webb and hooked his fingers in AJ's waistband. No way he would accept being guided by the elbow again - he had enough bruises there now.
"On the container we're sitting ducks especially if they get the electric back up. Better we get going as long as most of them are searching over there or outside. The property is huge; we should be able to slip past them in the darkness."
"They have probably posted guards at the doors."
"I don't think they have enough people for that AND searching the building. More likely they'll patrol the fence."
"Fence?"
"Don't worry I'm not planning another climb-and-jump activity. We'll go underneath."
Chegwidden carefully felt his way around crates and through the shelf-system. He tried to ignore the throbbing pain from his broken ribs and the headache. Peering out the big back door he noticed somewhat surprised that the sky was still grey although it was already completely dark inside the building. But they couldn't wait - it was too dangerous. So he shoved Webb behind some crates near the entrance and brought his lips to the other man's ear.
"Stay. I'll check if we can risk it."
Webb clamped his mouth shut before he could say something he'd regret afterwards. Instead he settled down carefully in dust and cobwebs behind the crates and listened intently to the moaning and crackling of a building cooling down. Their pursuers were now searching almost in silence. It was so quiet that once or twice he thought he heard tiny feet hurrying over the ground and hoped any mice or rats would mind their own business. Some minutes passed and his nervousness grew. Then a more prominent sound startled him. A second he was almost sure of hearing footsteps but it was hard to tell with his heart pounding like that suddenly. Was AJ coming back? Another small sound and he ducked deeper in his hiding place.
Meanwhile Chegwidden had run over to the door and pressed his back against the wall. Nothing. Crouching low he poked his head outside. Some flashlights were dancing in the twilight along the fence but none of them was dangerously close. Light fell out of the factory building they had been kept prisoner. Slipping out he crept along the side of the dark building behind him, away from the light. After a short glance around the next corner he considered their options. Nine people had arrived in the cars plus the trio from the airport and he had counted four people outside so far ... that left eight more somewhere around. Probably on the other side of the buildings or inside. Yes, they should be able to make it. He carefully hurried back to the door and was about to sneak in as he stopped dead in his tracks.
"You're causing a lot of trouble, Chegwidden," stated business-suit calmly. The barrel of his gun reflected a faint light. It was pointing disturbingly steady at AJ's belly.
Inside Webb flinched at the words.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," scoffed Chegwidden after a second.
Business-suit clicked his tongue. "I'm sure you are. And you will be even more if we don't find Webb. Where is he?"
AJ remained silent and assessed the distance between him and his opponent. Unfortunately no chance. The gun moved a bit and in spite of the twilight he was still able to see the cruel spark in the other man's eyes.
"You know, I've heard a bullet in your kneecap is a ... how shall I put it ... extraordinary painful experience."
In his hiding place Webb clenched his fists. His mind raced. He had to do something. Damn it, he had to do something!
"What do you want from Webb? You put quite some effort into getting him. Why is he suddenly so important?"
Webb carefully rolled over and started crawling in a direction that would hopefully lead him behind AJ's adversary. He grazed one hand along the rough wood to his left always hesitating when he reached a gap but none of them was big enough for him to squeeze through. Sweat was pouring off his face again but at the same time he felt cold. Then his hand was moving through empty space.
"Nice try but I don't have time for that." Business-suit sighed mildly annoyed. "Where - is - Webb?"
AJ glanced at the gun and wetted his lips. He almost jumped at a slight movement in the building behind business-suit. Immediately he forced his eyes away but not before he had seen Webb growing out of the shadows like a ghost. He swallowed.
"I ... can't see any advantage in giving you this information." Deliberately he took a step to the left. If business-suit turned just a tiny bit he would notice the spy... "As far as I can tell you're intending to shoot me if I answer the question or not -"
"Stop moving! Chegwidden, I really have to admit that my patience is wearing thin."
Again AJ risked a glance. He saw Webb slowly and without a sound stepping past the crates he had been hiding behind and towards their adversary. And he was absolutely unable to see the small pile of wood and dirt directly in his way. Sweat tickled in AJ's brows, his thoughts raced.
"Well, you see, that's the problem with - life. It's ... like ... the batter is counting on a straight ball and instead he gets a curve ball to the right," he sputtered out.
Webb froze and almost screamed. He instantly remembered. Italy. Tim.
'Arrgh, AJ! Not baseball again! I know you want to tell me something but what is it? Curve ball to the right? Move to the right? Whose right? Mine or yours? Darn it, darn it, darn it! Who's the pitcher? Me? I'm going to attack ... throw ... it has to be me!'
He slowly made a step to his right.
"And then ... then, you see, it's quite hard to-," AJ rambled on, noting with relief that Webb made a step to the side.
'Yeah, I knew you'd pick up on it!' He focused quickly back on business-suit but kept an eye on the slowly moving spy.
"- to make a hit but on the other hand if really a STRAIGHT ball is coming-"
Webb stopped, considered it a moment and then crept forward again.
"- it is probably the best home run the batter-"
Business-suit - clearly fed up with Chegwidden's baseball talk - straightened his arm and took better aim at AJ's knee.
"You really want to learn it the hard way, don't you? Well, then-"
He sensed the movement behind his back, whirled around but it was a split second too late. Webb had started forward in the direction of his voice, dove low with wide open arms and managed to tackle the other man at the legs although he had misjudged the distance. A shot rang out as they went down together. Webb grabbed wildly at anything within his reach but suddenly there seemed to be way too many legs than possible. Grunts and curses where around him as he tried to roll away from the fighting bodies. Someone stumbled over him then he heard once more the impact of flesh on flesh, followed by a crashing fall.
"AJ!"
"Here."
Chegwidden wiped a trace of blood from his lip and shook out his hand he still felt any of business-suits teeth on. New pain from his ribs was sending a wave of dizziness through him but he fought it down and swept up the gun and Webb.
"Let's get out of here!"
Nevertheless he hesitated. Business-suit was out cold and would probably stay that way for a while but at the same time a voice he had thought forgotten screamed in his head to make sure, to never leave an enemy in his back. It was so easy, he wouldn't even have to use the gun his bare hands would be enough...
"AJ?"
Webb's panic shout brought him back to reality and AJ shook his head violently. There had been many reasons he had changed his career so suddenly. But the most important had been that there was a difference, that there had to be a difference... He started running, dragging the younger man with him.
Shouts echoed in the building and so they turned towards the fence but within the first twenty steps they were caught in a cross of light. Chegwidden whirled around, raising the gun but a bullet hit the ground at his feet and he stopped. More flashlights were dancing in their direction, blinding him. Webb's breath was coming in short gasps right at his ear.
A harsh voice commanded: "Down with the gun! Down with it!"
Exhaling a desperate sigh AJ slowly turned the gun and took his finger of the trigger, showing any of his motions clearly. Behind he heard Webb's frustrated hiss.
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- Unknown location, the first building
The man business-suit had talked to earlier - seemingly an eternity ago - was waiting near the cars. His cold eyes swept over Chegwidden, wandered on to Webb and lingered on him for some time before turning to their escort. His expression didn't change as he considered the limp body of business-suit hanging between two men and just starting to groan. At a tiny gesture and a short command they dragged him away and most of the others returned to unloading the cars. Four men stayed though. Then the dark eyes focused on Chegwidden again.
"You are wasting a lot of my time, Admiral Chegwidden," the man - Amal? - said finally in heavily accented but understandable English. "Although Mister ... Webb here has decided to return earlier we are about to fall behind schedule."
"Good." AJ put almost ten years as JAG and some more as an admiral into his answer.
The man's gaze shifted a tiny bit. Chegwidden felt the man behind him move and tightened the muscles in his back. Nevertheless the searing pain brought him to his knees. Involuntarily he gasped as his broken ribs joint in. He sensed another movement and gritted his teeth.
"I know your voice," Webb spoke up suddenly. "We've met before."
The dark eyes turned to the agent and after a second AJ dared to breathe again. He was grateful for Webb's diversion but the way the Arab was studying his prisoner formed a lump in his throat. The man tilted his head, suddenly narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. He waved a hand in front of Webb's face. The spy blinked but showed no sign of seeing the gesture. And the man started smiling.
"So. This is unexpected. But not unwelcome... It's almost a pity your ... WIFE isn't here. I'm sure she would be even more enthusiastic about protecting you now."
AJ froze in place and Webb's face lost any color. Involuntarily he tried to step back but was stopped by the men behind him.
"Ah, I see you remember now. Yes, it would be interesting to make that indecent pride vanish from her face."
Only the thought of the danger Mac was in again reined in Webb's panic and gave him enough strength to speak.
"So you're that intent on hurting women ... Amal ... Fahd?" he snarled and prayed the other one wouldn't notice the trembling in his voice. "Like your uncle?"
Fahd dismissed his words with a careless gesture.
"I'm not wasting my time on a WOMAN, Agent Webb. My uncle was weak that he had fallen under her spell. Oh, she will pay for his death with her own life but she's not important."
Suddenly his hand shot out and grabbed Webb's neck. The spy flinched and Chegwidden started upwards but stopped when a gun was cocked at his head.
"And you will pay for what you have done too, for what you have made that woman do. You will pay for my uncle's death," Amal Fahd's voice wasn't more than a hiss. "You will tell me everything I need to know to fulfill my mission and I will listen to you begging ... a long, long time!"
He stared into Webb's face.
"I just need one or two little things to complete my ... equipment. Then we will finish the conversation we started a year ago. Then you will tell me all I need to know. Until then ... I'll leave you some time to remember EXACTLY where we have been interrupted."
"You've tried that before and it didn't work. Why do you think it would be different the second time?" Webb pressed out through gritted teeth. He tried desperately to maintain a stony expression but it was harder than anything he had ever done before.
Sadik Fahd's nephew smiled again in sure triumph and dug his fingers deeper into Webb's neck, pulling him closer despite his resistance.
"Oh, BECAUSE it is the second time." He spoke the words almost softly. "Because it is the second time."